Revolver crane lock



1945- W. L. SWARTZ REVOLVER CRANE LOCK Filed April 28, 1943 mm M JWMJ M Patented Aug. 14, 1945 PATENT OFFICE REVOLVER CRANE LOOK William L. Swartz, West Hartford, Coma, assignor to Colts Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application April 28, 1943, Serial No. 484,803

10 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in a revolver craneloclrfmecham'sm comprising a latch and operating means therefor.

In a conventional revolver, one .end, of the crane is pivotally supported by an arbor'rotatably'inounted in a seat in the frame .of the revolver. Thexcylinder is rotatably mounted on an arbor-mounted on the outer or free end of said crane. Y When the cylinder is disposed in operative position in the opening provided therefor in the frame, the rearward end of said cylinder ismaintained in, said operative position thereinby' a cylinder latch or look.

Should the revolver be accidentally dropped so that the projecting portion of the cylinder exposed on the side of the frame opposite the crane strikes a hard surface such as a floor, such a blow against thecylinder may. if sufficlently great, springer distort the crane and cylinder carrying arbor thereof to such an extent that the chambers of the cylinderwould no longer be in proper alignment with the barrel.

- 'A number of different types of crane latches have heretofore been developed, said latches 25 Fig. is a fragmentary, partially sectioned,

being forthepurpos'e of preventing distortion of the crane under conditions such as referred to in the foregoing. v

I The present invention represents an improvement over said prior. constructions and it is one object of the invention to provide a crane latch which is connected to the crane in such a way as to render the latch more mechanically efllcient than those heretofore developed.

It is another object of the invention to produce a crane latch and actuating mechanism which are, for the most part, concealed within the revolver construction when all parts thereof are disposed in operative firing positions, whereby substantially no objectionable projections are presented by the crane latch and/or actuating means therefor. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crane latch which projects outward from th free end of the crane and coengages with a latch receiving notch in the frame of the revolver.

Another further object of the invention is to provide a crane latch and actuating mechanism therefor wherein nocavities or recesses are exposed on the exterior of the revolver when all parts are disposed in operative position, whereby no accumulation of dirt or extraneous material will occur to foul the functioning of the crane latch and'its actuating mechanism.

wotherobiects of the invention and the details able, but it will beunderstood that the drawing,

is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing; Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a revolver having all parts in operative position for firing and embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the revolver shown in Fig. l but 'being on a larger scale than that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the cylinder and crane moved to inoperative position for purposes of removing cartridge shells from the cylinder or loading cartridges therein.

Fig. 4 shows two side views and one edge view of the crane latch per se.

side elevation of the crane per se.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation similar to, Fig. 5 but showing the crane latch and operating mechanism therefor'assembled in operative position.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a pin for limiting the movement of the latch outward of the crane.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a spring for actuating the crane latch operating plunger.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the crane latch operating plunger.

strictively so, comprises a frame l0 having a handle 12 formed thereon at one end and a barrel l4 secured thereto at the other end. The frame It] is provided with a generally rectangular recess or opening 16 disposed rearward of the rear end of the barrel I4. Th frame is also provided in the portion disposed below said recess l6 with a cylindrical arbor receiving seat l8, the longitudinal axis of which is substantially parallel tothe axis of the barrel l4. Said arbor seat opens outward of the forward end of'said frame.

A crane 20 is connected at its lower end to a crane arbor 22, said crane arbor and crane being preferably integrally connected; The crane arher 22 is rotatably mounted within the arbor seat The crane 20 and cylinder arbor 24 are pro-,1

vided with a'bearing 30 extending longitudinally of said arbor, said bearing slidably receiving a" conventional ejector rod 32 which serves toeject cartridges or empty shells: frorn the cylinder chambers 28. a

A cylinder lock or latch 34 is slidably mounted with respect to the frame lot for purposesof detachably securing the rear-end of the cylinder in its operative or firing position illustrated in Figs. land 2. In conventional ,revolvers of the type described, when the cylinder latch 34 ..is moved rearward, the cylinder 'may thenbe moved out of the recess, wa the crane incidentally rotates with the arbor '22 about its axis.

Also in conventional revolvers,- the upperpr free end of the crane is not secured in operative or firing position other than 'byfmeans of the latch 34securin'g the cylinder and cylinder arbor 24 in operativeposition. Since the arbor 24,is carried by the 'craneQthecrane will be satisfactorily maintained in operative position under normalconditions of use. However, should the exposed left side of the cylinder, as viewed in Fig. 2, be subjected to a'sufliciently'hard blow such as when, for example, the rev'olveris accidentally dropped, inasmuch as the rearward end of the cylinder is locked against movement by latch 34, the upperend of the cran'e will be moved by the blow to the right, 'as viewed in Fig. 2, and may possibly be sprungv from, its normal shape andbecome distorted,- thus. producing a conse quent misalignment of the cylinder arbor 24 with the crane arbor 22. Such 'misalignment of the cylinder arbor will serve to prevent proper alignlatch is operatively mounted in the channel 36. The opposite edges-of the crane latch are respectively provided with guide ribs 48 and 50 which are respectively slidably received in grooves 38 and 40 of the crane, said grooves preventing movement of the latch in a lateral direction with respect to the crane. The end of the crane latch opposite"'the-'detent 44 is provided. in the face opposite the protuberance. with a cam slot or groove 52 which extends at an angle of substanrtially 45 to the longitudinal axis of the crane latch. The purpose of the cam groove 52 will be presently'described. The crane latch is also provided with a =laterally extending abutment or.

' mdinany' of the arbor 22 and opens outward of Said seat slidably receivesa substantially cylindrical plunger 58 ment of the cartridge chambers 28 with thebore of the barrel, V t r r In order that accidents similar to that de scribed will not distort the crane and cylinder arbor, the revolver is provided with a crane latch and operating 'mechanism therefor comprising the present invention, details of which will now be described. The -face of'the crane 20,.which is normally disposed in juxtaposition to one side of the forward portion of the frame, is provided with a channel 36 which extends longitudinally ofv the crane, from one end to the other, and transverse to the axis of the cylinder when mounted on the cylinder arbor of the crane The side walls defining the channel 36 are respectively provided with guide grooves 38' and 40, opening into said channel, said grooves extending inward from the free end of the crane. I I The channel 36 slidably receives a crane latch 42 which is provided at one end with a latching detent 44 and at one side of theother endwith a protuberance 46 having an arcuate exterior surface substantially conforming to the curvature of the pivoted end portion of the crane and the adjoining portion of the crane, arbor. However, said protuberance has a slightly smaller radius than said curvature of said crane and arbor2 portions t p v a leare ceraqe a ndicated in Figs. 2 and 3, adapted to permitreciprqcation of the latch inward of the crane lo when; the

which'is'providediwith a cylindrical recess so at one end'and 'a manually engageable member or finger button GZjat the'other end'. Oneside of saidplun'ger 58 ispartiall'y cutaway; to define a laterallyextending cam 84 disposed at an angle of'substantially 45t 'to the longitudinal axis of the plunger and adapted to be slidably received in ahddactfivith cam'groove'52 disposed in crane latch'42'. a v r 1 When t'h plunger 58" is operatively mounted in thefs'eat56; ,affc oil spring 65 is disposed between the inner end of the seat 56 and theinner end of the cylindrical. cavity '60 of the plunger and n'ormallyg's'erve's to bias the plunger outward of the seatj56 a f I "Inbr der' that the movement of thecrane latch outward of the channel 36 may be limited to the de'sired exten't only, the crane is provided with a cylindrical openingfli8 extending parallelly to and adjacent 'thefbearirig 30,.said opening receiving a cylindrical p'in 'llj adapted to engage the shoulder 54 of the cranelatch when the detent 44 of said latch rleaiches its outermost position. The detent 44 fqf'cran'ellatch fl :is received, in latch receiving notch '12-'il 1ustrat'ed in jFig's. 2 and 3, said notch being provided in the surface of the frame juxtaposed tothe free end of the crane when the crane is disposed in'the v eperative position with respect to said frame and as shown in Fig; 2. Movement of thecrane'latchinward of the free end of the t i ilim by ga ement. r the end of protuberance 46 with the wall of arbor seat I8 in the frame. 'VVhe'n the ringer button 62 is manually actuated movethe plunger '58 inward of the crane and crane arbor,' the cam'64 'will coact with cam groove '52'to move the latch detent 44 out of the notch l2 and inward' of the free end of the crane. Sucn'inw'ard 'movement'of the crane latch will be sufliclent to completely remove thedetent 44 from the notch 12, whereby the crane may then be moved laterally from the P9 0? .ShOWn Fig. 2 to that shown i Fig: 3,"su'ch movement of the. crane also serving to remove the cylinder from the recess. IS in th irim r h a 'Durin'g'jtheiinwardmovement of the plunger 58 the4spring'f6fi is'compressed'. ,Uponrelease of the button 62,. spring" 65 wlllpbias the plunger outward, such movement simultaneously causing the cam 'lill lto move the detent 44 of the crane latch joutward of thefree end-o f thecrane. It will thus be seen that the spring 65 not onlyserves to bias the plunger58but due to thelcoaction between cam 64 and cam groove52,saidspring also normally biases the crane latch outward of the ireeend of the crane.

When the crane and cylinder are being moved. from the position indicated inFig 3 to the oper ative position shown in Fig. 2,, the detent 44- of. the crane latch will first engage a portion of. the surface of the frameindicated 14. in Figs- 2v and 3. Inasmuch as saidportion 14 of said frame surface .which is first engaged by. the crane latch detent is disposed at an'angle suitable to serve. as a camming surface to biassaid detent inward of the :crane, continued inward movement of the crane toward the frame after initial contact between said frame and vdetent will serve to cam the crane latch detent 44 inward, of the free end of the crane until such time asv said detentreaches notch 12 in the;frame,:following which, spring 66 through the medium of plunger 58, .cam 64, cam groove 52. andcrane latch 42 will serve to dispose the outerend. of detent 44 within the notch 12 to .disengageablysecure the crane in proper juxtaposition to the frame.

It will thus be seen thatthe mounting: means I for'the cylinder, comprising the crane 2ft and.

cylinder arbor 24 will hold the cylinder in opera.- tive position due to the cranelatch. 42 and the cylinder latch 34 which are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the cylinder. Therefore, if the revolver is dropped so that the exposed surface of the cylinder opposite the: crane and. referred to. above is subjected even to a-blow of great. force, the cylinder latch 34 and. particularly the crane latch 42 will serve to. prevent dislodgment ofv the cylinder from itsloperative position and will further and especially prevent any distortion of the crane or the cylinder arbor 24. I

It. will also be observed thatwhen the crane is latched in the operative position indicated in:

Figs. 1 and 2, the only. exposed portion of the crane latch or its actuating mechanism comprises. the manually engageable finger button 62 and the portion of the plunger 58': immediately adjacent thereto. None of said exposed portions have any grooves or crevices in which dirtv or other extraneous mattermaytaccumulate and therefore the operation of the crane latch and its actuating" mechanism will not be. fouled at any such accumulations.

It will further be observed that the engagement of the, pin Ill with the shoulder 54 0f" the crane latch will serve to prevent any frictional engagement between the crane latch and the ejector rod time due to 32,, whereby free rotation. of the cylinder and obstruction during use of the revolver or while placing the revolver. ina holster. Furthermore, the cranelatch may be disengagedsfrom: its latching: positionv by aslight movement of the manuallpjengageable member inward of the revolver..

Still -fu-rther,-. when the crane and cylinder .are being: moved. from inoperative. to operative :p'osition-, the construction is such that..the crane latch will be automatically cammed inward and then moved outward. into engagement witn' the notch in the frame which. receivesthe outward projecting latching. detent of thecrane latch.

In the foregoing, descriptive terms used to denote location such as forward, rearward, andthe like havebeen used while considering the endofrthe frame from which-the. barrel projects the front ,or forward end andthe end'of the frame from which the handle projects the rearward end. Said descriptive terms are to be: considered in the same relative sense with respect to the revolver, regardlessv of the position in which the revolver 'mayultimately be disposed.

. 'While the invention has been illustrated and described in its, preferred embodiment and has included certain details, it should be-understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precisevdetails herein illustrated: and described nor .to use with the exact revolver described herein since the invention: may be embodied" in other firearms having a pivoted crane ands aid invention may also be carried out in other ways,

falling within. the scope of the invention as claimed. Y

' What I-. claim is: i l 7 I. In a revolver, the combination of a frame, a. cylinder, a crane pivotally carried by said frame, one end of said crane ro-tatably support-- ing said cylinder and alsoadapted to'be moved laterally from said frame, a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to said frame, and a: crane latch slidably carried by said craneand-reciproca'ble in a direction transverse to-the axis oi said cylinder, said latch being-adapted to engage said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respect to said frame when the cylinder is. disposed-in said operative position.

2'. In a revolver, the combination of a frame provided with latch engaging means, a cylinder, a crane pivotally carried bysa-id frame, one end of said crane rotatably supporting said cylinder.

and also adapted tobe. moved laterally from said frame, a cylinderlatch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect tosaid frame, and a crane latch slidably carried by said crane and reciprocable in a direction transverse to the axis of said cyl inder, said latch being adapted to engage said latch engaging means on said frame todetach ably secure said crane in operative positlon w th respect to said frame when the cylinder is. dis- I posed in said operative position. 3. In a revolver, the combination of a fram having latch engaging means, a cylinder, acrane .pivotally connected atone end of said frame,

to the axis of said cylinder, said latch being adapted to project beyond the free end of said crane and engage said" latch engaging meansof said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respect tosaid frame when the cylinder is disposed in said operative position,

4. In a revolver, the combination'of 'aframe having latch engaging means, a cylinder, a crane pivotally connected at one. end to said' frame and adapted to have its free end pivotally moved laterally therefrom, said crane adjacent its free endrotatably supporting said cylinder, 'a'cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to said frame, a crane latch slidably'carried by said crane and reciprocable in. a direction transverse to the axis of said cylinder, said latch being adapted to project beyond the free end of said crane and engage said frame latch engaging meansof said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respect to said frame when the cylinder is disposed in said operative position, and means adapted to enact with said crane latch to limit the movement thereof outward of the free end of said crane.

5.'In a revolver, the combination of a frame having latch engaging means, a crane pivotally connected at one end to said frame and adapted tobe juxtaposed to said frame in operative position, the side of the crane which is adapted to be juxtaposed to said frame being provided with a channel extending longitudinally of said crane and transversely to the pivotal axis thereof, a

cylinder rotatably supported-by said crane ad-' jacent the free end thereon, said free end of the crane being opposite its pivoted end and adapted to be pivotally moved laterally from the frame, a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to the frame, and a crane latch slidably carried by said crane in the channel therein, said crane latch being movable longitudinally of said channel and having one end adapted to project beyond the free end of said crane and, engage said latch engaging means of said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respectto said frame when the cylinder, is disposed in said operative position.

6. In a revolver, the combination of aframe having latch engaging means, acrane pivotally connected at one end to said frame, a cylinder rotatably supported by said crane adjacent the free end thereof, said free end of thecrane being adaptedto be pivotally moved laterally from the frame, a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to the frame, a crane latch slida'bly carried by said crane and adapted to project beyond the free end of said crane and engage said latch engaging means of said frame to detachably seconnected at one end tosaid frame, a cylinder rotatably supported by said crane adjacent the free end thereof, said free end of the crane being adapted to be pivotally moved laterally from the frame, a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder'in operative position with respect to the frame, a crane latch slidably car-.

ried by said crane and adaptedto project beyond the free end of said crane and engage said latch engaging means of said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respect to said frame when the cylinder is disposed in said operative position, means slidably carried by said crane and provided with a manually engagea'ble portion projecting outward of said crane, and a cam carried by said last mentioned means and adapted to be moved therewith when actuated by said manually engageable portion to disengage said crane latch from said latch engaging means of said frame to permit movement of said cylinder and the free end of said cran from said operative positions thereof.

8. In combination in a revolver, a frame providedwith an arbor seat, said frame also being provided with latch engaging means, an arbor pivotally mounted in the arbor seat of said frame, a crane connected at one end to and pivotally movable with said arbor, said arbor and crane containing a seat opening outward of said crane and insubstantial co-axial alignment with said arbor, a cylinder pivotally supported. by said crane, a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to said frame, a crane latch slidably carried by said crane and reciprocable in a direction extending transversely to the axis of said cylin- 7 thereof.

9. In combination in a revolver, a frame provided with an arbor seat, said frame also being provided with latch engaging means, an arbor pivotally mounted in the arbor seat of said frame, a crane connected at one end to and pivotally movable with said arbor, said arbor and crane containing a seat opening outward of said crane,

, a cylinder pivotally supported by said crane,

a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to said frame, a crane latch slidably carried by said crane and reciprocab-le in a path extending transversely to the axis of said cylinder, said crane latch being adapted to engage said latch engaging means on said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respect to said frame, means slidably movable in said seat in said arbor and crane, and a cam and cam groove disposed one on said slidable means and the other on said crane latch and adapted to coact to disengage said crane latch from said latch engaging means of said framewhen said slidable means is moved to permit movement of said crane and cylinder from said operative positions thereof. i

10. In combination in a revolver, a frame provided with an arbor seat, said frame also being provided with latch engaging means, an arbor openingoutward of said crane and said crane also having a channel which is concealed when the crane is in said operative position, a cylinder pivotally. supported by said crane, a cylinder latch adapted to detachably retain said cylinder in operative position with respect to said frame, a crane latch slidably carried by said channel in said crane and reciprocable therein in a path extending transverse to the axis of said cylinder, said crane latch being adapted to project beyond the free end of said crane and engage said latch engaging means on said frame to detachably secure said crane in operative position with respect to said frame, means movably mounted in said seat in said arbor and crane and adapted to coact with said crane latch to disengage it from said latch engaging means of said frame to permit movement of said crane and cylinder from said tioned means to effect movement of said means in said seat therefor, said member projecting out- Ward of said crane and comprising the only appreciably exposed portion of said crane latch and the actuating means therefor when the crane is disposed in operative position.

WILLIAM L. SWARTZ. 

